Harry Potter Series on HBO: Release Date, Showrunner, and Everything Else to Know

Harry Potter is, for better and worse, the sort of thing that just cannot go away. It's too baked into people's brains as a foundational piece of storytelling for multiple gnerations, and series creator J.K. Rowling is one of those people who just doesn't really care if you like them. So while the Harry Potter franchise has been quieter in the last few years, the Boy Who Lived is never far away.

A new Harry Potter series made for streaming had reportedly been in the works for several years, but Warner Bros. made things official in 2023 when it revealed plans for a fresh adaptation of the Harry Potter novels for Max (it will now also air on HBO). That's right; we're not doing any side stories or prequels like Fantastic Beasts. This is the real thing, with a TV series allowing for much more depth in the telling of the story than we got from the film series that starred Daniel Radcliffe. Each of the movies was between two and three hours long — but each season of this series will give us far more time in the Wizarding World than that.

Just in case you've been living under the Shrieking Shack and have no idea what's going on, Harry Potter is an 11-year-old boy who gets accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry only to learn that his family's history with a deadly dark lord will come to threaten the entire wizarding world and those he loves most.

The ambitious retelling of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time — which spanned eight films between 2001 and 2011 — is the latest effort to mine Rowling's Wizarding World cinematic universe. Warner Bros. also produced three films in the spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts, licensed a theme park attraction, mounted the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage production, and launched the recent open-world video game Hogwarts Legacy.

The announcement of the new adaptation was met with excitement (and some apprehension) from fans of the Wizarding World. Here's everything to know about the new series, its cast, a possible release date, and what the original stars have to say about the reimagining.

Harry Potter TV series latest news

While we still don't have a cast for the new series yet, Warner Bros apparently plans to start filming during the summer of 2025, just months from now — per showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, who were speaking at a presentation at Warner Bros Discovery HQ in London, as reported by Variety. Mylod also mentioned that they've auditioned more than 32,000 kids for roles thus far — so they could already be close to having their new Harry. They did not mention a release window at all during the presentation, so no further clarity on that.

Harry Potter TV series release date

Development on such a monumental project is still in the early stages and will be a lengthy process. While we were all hoping for a 2025 launch, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in February 2024 that the series was targeting a 2026 premiere. 

However, in December 2024, Variety reported that Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO of global streaming and games JB Perrette spoke at a tech and media conference and indicated that the series might not premiere until 2027. He said, "As you look at '26 and into '27, you begin a 10-year journey on the Harry Potter series, which we're super excited about. And I'd argue, may be the biggest event by the time we get to that series." While the quote appears to say it could be either 2026 or 2027, Variety says, "Perrette indicated that HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series, which was previously targeting a 2026 launch and is currently in the casting stage for its new Harry, Ron, and Hermione, will instead come in 2027."

Though the news of a potential later premiere date may sound bad, let's look at this another way: HBO appears to be serious about getting this right and not rushing the show to air, and that's the most important thing for fans. 

Harry Potter TV series cast and crew

The biggest selling point for the original Harry Potter films was their dynamic cast, led by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, along with legendary British actors like Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, and Ralph Fiennes. But HBO was clear in its announcement of the new series that it will feature an entirely new cast.

In November 2024, Variety reported that Warner Bros. wants Mark Rylance, the star of Dunkirk and Bridge of Spies, to be the new Dumbledore. Rylance is a bit younger than Richard Harris was when he took on the role for the first Harry Potter film, and he's slightly older than the late Michael Gambon was when he took over the part in Prisoner of Azkaban after Harris died. Rylance, an Oscar winner whose characters tend to have a gentle demeanor, would be a fine pick for the beloved headmaster of Hogwarts. However, nothing is official yet, and in December 2024, Deadline reported that Mark Strong is also in the mix for the part.

Deadline also reported in December that HBO is "interested in casting" Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) as Severus Snape, though no formal offers have apparently been made.

Warner Bros. has announced a showrunner for the new series: Francesca Gardiner, who's never led a series before but whose previous writing credits include episodes of Succession and His Dark Materials. 

We've also got a director for some of the episodes: Mark Mylod, a peak TV veteran. Mylod has directed lots of stuff for HBO and Showtime — episodes of Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us, Shameless, The Affair, and on and on, though his best work is probably the dark satire film The Menu with Ralph Fiennes. Mylod is no stranger to this sort of production.

Harry Potter TV series teaser video

In announcing the series, Max released a brief teaser that offers nothing about the new series, only acknowledging its existence. But it does include the original film series' iconic typeface and John Williams' score — the use of which left some scratching their heads. If the streamer intends to remake Rowling's stories from the ground up, will it still use the same branding and music? Not likely, but until anything gets made, the original's effective iconography and soundtrack will have to do.

How many seasons will there be?

Initial reports of the series said it would run seven seasons, with each one dedicated to adapting one of Rowling's books. But Warner Bros. Discovery has also stated it would be a "decade-long series." In February 2024, Zaslav confirmed that the series would run for seven seasons, with each season corresponding to a book.

There's also the vast Wizarding World mythology that Rowling has built out over the years, which series creators could pull from to flesh out the new TV adaptation as well.

In all, that means you should expect a much more robust adaptation of the novels than we saw with the movies, since each season will be significantly longer than any of those movies were. This will also allow them to flesh out some of the early stories with key elements that weren't conceived until later books, if they want to.

Is J.K. Rowling involved in the Harry Potter TV series?

The mind behind the Harry Potter franchise isn't the most beloved person on Earth as the Wizarding World she built makes its comeback.

Rowling has become a much-maligned figure in recent years following controversial comments toward the trans community beginning in 2020, and she hasn't softened her stance or apologized since, instead doubling down on her hateful takes. Rowling has always been outspoken, but her flurry of comments since have driven some of her most ardent fans to denounce her and voice opposition to her future involvement with the franchise.

This didn't stop Warner Bros. from bringing her on board the new series, on which she will serve as an executive producer. In a statement, she said, "Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series."

In January 2024, Deadline reported that Rowling "is expected to be involved in the decision-making on the series," and in February 2024, Zaslav confirmed that she would be part of the series.

Original Harry Potter cast reactions to the TV series

With a whole new cast donning the robes of Hogwarts' four houses, the original cast will officially be passing the wand. Daniel Radcliffe, the original Harry Potter, is totally fine with it.

"My understanding is that they're trying to very much start fresh and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere," Radcliffe told ComicBook.com in July 2023. "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it."

Other actors have remained mum about the new series so far. But many of them are still very much involved with the legacy of their time in the films. Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, previously spoke to Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2022 and said he would "definitely consider" subbing in for a role in the Broadway or West End productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Could he feel the same way about the new series? Maybe, but fans are already hoping he might step into the role of Lucius Malfoy, his own character's father (played in the movies by Jason Issacs).

How to watch the Harry Potter TV series

Until the Harry Potter series starts to take shape, an entire corner of the Max streaming service is dedicated to the Wizarding World. There, fans can stream all eight of the original films, along with the three Fantastic Beasts movies, the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion film, and specials like the Hogwarts Tournament of Champions hosted by Helen Mirren. 

The main series of Harry Potter films is also available on Peacock, and the entire franchise can also be purchased on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video and other digital retailers.